Most brassieres are maintained in place at least partially by straps which pass posterially of the upper torso and cinch the brassiere cups firmly against the chest. This cinching action, in order to be effective, is of sufficient force that the strap passing along the bottom of the brassiere presses into the flesh, and in the instance of mastectomy patients who have sensitive scar tissue in many instances which pass across the lower band of the brassiere, the chafing of this band can become quite a problem.
As the band chafes, the wearer is tempted to unhook the brassiere, which in itself present a difficulty inasmuch as much of the muscle tissue is removed during a radical mastectomy, making it difficult for the wearer to get both hands behind the back to the position where most bras are fastened. An additional difficulty is that the prosthetic insert pad is conventionally a silicone device designed to be approximately the same density as a natural breast, and loosening the bottom strap of the bra will sometimes cause the pad to fall out.
Therefore, there is a deficiency in the art of prosthetic devices for mastectomy patients inasmuch as there is needed a pad which is easily and comfortably held in place by other than the cinching force of a hand or strap passing posterially of the patient.